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Galayet bandora
Stewed tomatoes with garlic and chilli
Galayet bandora: Jordan's pan of olive-oil-stewed tomatoes with garlic and green chilli, scooped up with bread
Ask anyone in Amman what they cook when the fridge is nearly empty and the answer is often galayet bandora: ripe tomatoes collapsed in a shallow pan with olive oil, garlic and hot green chilli until they turn jammy and sweet. It turns up at breakfast, as a quick supper, and over a camp fire on desert trips to Wadi Rum, always eaten straight from the pan with torn khubz or shrak. Some families add cubes of lamb; this meatless version is the one most homes make every week. The usual mistake is stirring too much and adding water, which gives you a thin sauce instead of glossy, slightly caramelised tomatoes. Chef's tip: let the tomatoes sit untouched for the first few minutes so their undersides catch and colour; that touch of browning is where the flavour comes from.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionsmall, thinly sliced (optional in many homes, but sweetens the pan)
- 4 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 2 green chilliessliced into rings; keep the seeds for more heat
- 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoesabout 6, cut into wedges
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
- 3 Arabic flatbread (optional)or shrak
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Add 4 cloves garlic and 2 green chillies and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells sweet but has not browned.
1 minStep 3: Lay 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes in the pan in a single layer, cut sides down, and leave them alone over a medium-high heat until the undersides are lightly browned and the juices start to bubble.
5 minStep 4: Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, turn the wedges once and lower the heat to medium. Cook, pressing a few of them with a spoon, until the skins slip off, the juices have reduced to a thick glossy sauce and the oil shows around the edge. Don't add water.
10 minStep 5: Scatter over 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and bring the pan to the table with 3 Arabic flatbread for scooping. It is best hot, though leftovers are good cold the next morning.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does galayet bandora take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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